


Cold Coquetry

by vayleen



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-29
Updated: 2010-03-29
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vayleen/pseuds/vayleen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dinner with family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Coquetry

“I resent that remark,” Sokka declared, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. “It’s the technical term for a tiger-whale’s testicles. I don’t like being called a testicle.”

“Dork,” Toph repeated with a smirk.

Katara wrinkled her nose. “That’s gross, Sokka.”

“Don’t the water tribes actually eat that part of the tiger-whale?” Aang asked pleasantly, from the head of the table.

“Yes, but only the men. It’s a old, ridiculous tradition. If women eat part of the testicle, we lose part of our feminine essence or something.” Katara said.

“Have you ever wondered how that became an insult?” Azula asked casually, without looking up at the rest of the table, stirring her soup spoon.

“Not really,” Sokka said.

“Originally, it could have been a compliment,” Azula continued. “Maybe someone was complimenting someone else’s sexual prowess.”

Sokka leaned his head back and laughed. “I don’t think so, but let’s run with that. Toph,” Sokka said, turning to the blind woman sitting next to him. “Are you complimenting my sexual prowess?”

“No, I was definitely insulting you,” Toph said. “Because one, ew. I’d have to have sex with you in order to   
compliment it and that would be awkward because you’re practically the brother I never had. Two, you should be asking that woman,” Without turning her head, Toph pointed at Azula, who was sitting across from Mai at the foot of the table, “why she would turn my insult around to stroke your ego.”

“Actually, let’s not,” the Fire Lord said. He was sitting across from Aang, giving the Avatar the place of honor, as was customary. Zuko could have cared less about the conversation, but Mai was giving him one of her looks. A look that meant “Why are your guests talking about testicles and sex at my dinner table?” Plus, she kicked him.

“You’re turning into an old fogey, Zuko,” Sokka said. Then he turned to look at Azula. She was sitting across and one chair down from him. She met his gaze and winked.

_Vixen,_ Sokka thought. _She’s teasing me again._

Feeling bold, Sokka decided to tempt fate. “Are you _complimenting_ me, Princess?” Sokka asked.

Ignoring Mai’s warning glare, Azula smiled sweetly at the water tribesman. “Well, I’m at the same disadvantage as Bei Fong-ssi in that respect.”

Sokka was immediately disappointed. “I can’t be the brother you never had, Azula, you have a brother.”

“That’s _not_ what I meant.”

“Yeah, that’s most certainly _not_ what she meant-” Toph said.

“Spirits! Can’t you two wait until after dinner is over?” Katara exclaimed.

“Thank you!” Mai said.

“-judging by her pulse rate.” Toph finished.

“You’re just moody because you’re pregnant,” Sokka said soothingly to Katara, patting his sister’s bound hair. “Here, you can finish my vegetable soup.”

“I’m not going to eat your leftovers,” Katara grumbled. But the smell of the soup overpowered her resolve, and she picked up her brother’s spoon.

Sokka had to mentally refrain from drumming his fingers on the table through the four other courses, plus dessert, plus coffee. Normally he loved dinner. Dinner was the best part of the day, dinner at the Fire Nation’s palace meant all the delicious meat he could want, but he didn’t know Azula would be there instead of Ember Island, where she usually went for the solstice.

But there she was. Painted lips and perfectly straight dark hair. She ignored him for the rest of the meal, so Sokka tried to keep himself from staring at her lips as she ate her food and sipped her wine, because if he didn’t, she would know he was staring. And she’d feel like she was winning.

She was, but that wasn’t the point.

After dinner was finally over, Sokka walked with Aang and Katara back to their guest wing, because Katara expected him to and Sokka wasn’t going to fall under his pregnant sister’s expectations. So he walked with them until they reached their destination, kissed his sister’s hand goodnight, and swiftly began his hunt.

It took him about forty minutes. He caught site of her in a hall about two courtyards away and one floor up. He looked around to see exactly where they were and what direction she was going and judged she was taking a scenic route towards her favorite courtyard, the one with the pond and the turtle-ducks.

Luckily, if he was quick about it, he could get a few steps ahead of her and give her a surprise.

When Azula turned the final corner, Sokka stepped out from behind the wall, right into her path.

Azula jumped, mouth falling slightly open.

“Did I actually startle you?” Sokka was genuinely surprised.

“Yes you did,” Azula said. “You should write that monumental feat down in your diary tonight.”

She pushed past him. Sokka watched her walk away to sit on the grass by the pond, where she sat up straight, dipping one bare toe into the water. Sokka walked up behind her and knelt, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders. He leaned down close to the top of her head, close enough that he could smell her hair, and she’d hear him whisper.

“I got the distinct feeling that you were flirting with me today, Princess,” he whispered.

“Did you?” Azula whispered back.

“I have pretty good instincts when a woman is flirting with me.”

Azula stiffened. “Do you?”

“I’ve had plenty of practice too. It’s become kind of a skill.”

“Has it?” Azula said, a little louder.

“Yes. I have a question though.” Sokka moved his hands to rub her bare shoulders, wondering why she was so rigid and stiff. Work must have been stressful for her lately. “Is this just flirting again? You’re not going to leave me cold again, are you?”

“Well, Sokka,” Azula said, turning her face towards his. She was smirking. Sokka grinned. Their faces were very close. Sokka looked down at her perfectly painted red lips, the ones he had been trying not to stare at all night. Almost close enough that if he leaned forward, just a little-

The world was suddenly upside down and very wet. When his guard was down, the Princess Azula had flipped him into the pond using his own body weight. Sokka gasped and broke through the surface of the pond, splashing. Azula was looking at him coldly, still smirking.

“As a matter of fact, I am leaving you cold again,” Azula said. Then she turned heel and walked away. Sokka thought he heard her mutter something about “arrogant jerks” as she disappeared into the corridor.

Sokka floated back down into the pond, temporarily defeated.


End file.
